Summary and Analysis

Parametric Equations and Polar Coordinates

Problems

Graphing in Polar Coordinates, page 2

page 1 of 3

A typical polar equation is in the form
r = f (θ)
, where
f
is some function ( of
θ
).
θ
is the independent variable, and
r
is the dependent variable. The graph of a polar equation is the collection of all points that have at least
one set of polar coordinates that satisfy the equation (remember that a point has more
than one set of polar coordinates). Polar equations can be graphed by plotting points, and
ultimately, this is the best way to do it. But there are a number of shortcuts that are
useful for graphing polar equations.

Symmetry is an important property of any graph. Like functions are either odd, even, or
neither, based on their symmetry properties, graphs of polar equations can be symmetric
with respect to either the polar axis, the pole, or the line
θ =
, or none
of these. Knowing whether a graph is symmetric in any way simplifies the graphing
process.

If in the polar equation,
(r, θ)
can be replaced by
(r, - θ)or(- r, Π - θ)
,
the graph is symmetric with respect to the polar axis. If in the polar equation,
(r, θ)
can be replaced by
(- r, θ)or(r, Π + θ)
, the graph is symmetric with
respect to the pole. If in the polar equation,
(r, θ)
can be replaced by
(r, Π - θ)or(- r, - θ)
, the graph is symmetric with respect to the line
θ =
. These rules are true, of course, but their converses are not. The graph of
a polar equation can be symmetric with respect to one of these axes (or the pole) and not
satisfy any of the test equations. These rules are only used to help sketch a graph.

Finding the maximum absolute value of
r
and the
θ
values for which
r = 0
is
also a useful technique in sketching and analyzing the graph of a polar equation. If for
some
θ
,
r = 0
, the graph intersects the pole.

One final technique for sketching and analyzing the graph of a polar equation is finding
the intercepts of the graph; that is, where it intersects the lines
θ = 0
and
θ =
. These lines correspond to the
x
and
y
axes in the rectangular
coordinate system. Let's examine a polar equation and sketch and analyze it.

r = 2sin(θ)
. It is not uncommon for a polar equation to contain a trigonometric
function, like this one. Performing the symmetry tests, it is found that, because
sin(θ) = sin(Π - θ)
, the graph is symmetric with respect to the line
θ =
. This means we only need to plot values of
θ
for
[0,]and[, 2Π), or[, Π]and (Π,]
. If we can
plot the graph for values of
θ
in either of these two sets of intervals, we can use the
symmetry of the graph to sketch it for the other values of
θ
. The maximum
absolute value of
r
occurs when
sin(θ) = 1or - 1
; therefore,
θ = ,
, and
r = 2, - 2
, respectively. Both of these ordered
pairs specify the same point.
r = 0
when
sin(θ) = 0
, which is true for
θ = 0, Π
. Finally, evaluating the equation at
θ = 0,
, we find the
intercepts are at
(0, 0)and (2,)
.